Moment teen hugs boyfriend as his life support is switched off

The heartbreaking moment a teenage girl embraces her sweetheart in a hospital bed moments before his life support was switched off has been captured on camera.

In the poignant moment, Stephanie Ray, 15, gave a heartfelt goodbye to her boyfriend Blake Ward, 16, who was tragically caught in a rip at sea in Wales, UK, last week.

Sharing the touching picture of the pair cuddled together on his hospital bed, the heartbroken teenage girl said she couldn’t bare to leave Blake’s side in the days since the “terrible accident” Tuesday last week.

Stephanie Ray, 15, gives a final embrace to her boyfriend Blake Ward, 16, just before his life support is switched off. Source: Stephanie Ray / Facebook

Blake was one of three teens pulled from the water in Tywyn, Gwynedd in north west Wales, and was airlifted to hospital, according toCambrian News. The condition of the other two youths is not known.

Doctors said Blake would never recover as his brain damage was too severe, so on Saturday the difficult decision was made to turn off his life support.

Stephanie Ray with boyfriend Blake Ward who was tragically caught in a rip at sea in Wales, UK, last week. Source: Stephanie Ray / Facebook

“Today has been the hardest day for me and it will be a day I will never be able to forget,” Stephanie wrote of the day she and Blake’s family had to make the tough decision to switch off his life support machine.

She described her sweetheart as “a loving a caring person and would do anything for anyone”.

“Blake was someone special to me and we had something special and we will always have that,” she wrote.

Stephanie described her late boyfriend Blake as “loving and caring”. Source: Blake Ward / Facebook

Saying he will forever be missed, Stephanie told how her beau passed away with his family by his side.

“He will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget you. Blake fly high my baby boy and I’m gonna make you proud love you and I always will.”

The grieving teen and the boy’s family are raising money for Blake’s funeral, with a GoFundMe that has raised more than $2,700 so far.